Molded pulp tray dispenser



April 18, 1961 c. o. PICK MOLDED PULP TRAY DISPENSER Filed July 7, 1958 FIG. 2

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8 q 2 7 0 lfll 4 1 2 fl l 2 BY BUCKHORN, CH E ATHAM & BLO RE A 77' ORA/E KY Unite ttes MOLDED PULP TRAY DISPENSER Charles 0. Pick, Tigard, reg., assignor to Pacific Pulp Molding Company, Portland, Greg, a corporation of Washington Filed July 1, 1958, Ser. No. 7'46,819

3 Claims. (11. 221-279 My present invention comprises a dispenser for molded pulp packing trays, which is of particular utility in the fruit packing industry. Pocketed packing trays are commonly used in the industry for protecting the fruit from damage during packing and shipment. It is the usual practice to progress the fruit along a packing table by suitable conveyor means, such as a belt, past sorting stations at each of which an operator selects a certain grade or size of fruit, places the individual fruit in the pockets of a tray and disposes the filled trays in a carton or crate. Each operating station is usually surrounded by a supply of empty cartons, filled cartons waiting to be removed, and stacks of packing trays, so that, in order to have the empty trays and empty cartons within reach of the operator, it is necessary to space the packing stations quite far apart, thus increasing the length of the packing table and conveyor for any given number of operators. principal purpose of the present invention is to provide a dispenser which may be conveniently mounted above the packing table within easy reach of the operator, thus diminishing the amount of floor space required for each packing station and increasing the number of operators who may be positioned along any given packing table.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a packing tray dispenser which causes individual trays in a stack of trays to be separated in fan fashion so that they may be rapidly grasped by the operator, even without looking up from the task of sorting the fruit.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a packing tray dispenser of the foregoing character which may be loaded from the rear end by a person whose duty it is to keep the packers constantly supplied with trays, without interfering with the sorting and packing opera-. tions.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily ascertained from inspection of the accompanying drawings taken in connection with the following specification wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of the present invention in operation;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the dispenser without trays therein;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially along line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and showing trays therein, portions of some of the trays being broken away for clarity; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale taken substantially along line 44 of Fig. 2. V

The dispenser of the present invention comprises a pair of substantially rectangular side walls'ltl and 11, ,a substantially rectangular top 12, and a substantially rectangular bottom 13 suitably joined together along theiredges to provide an open-ended rectangular tunnel having an inlet end 14 and an outlet end 15. The dispenser is mounted at a convenient location above a sorting table 16 as by means of legs 17, or suspension straps 18, or a combination thereof. If legs are employed the legs are fastened to the rear of the table so as not to interfere with the conveyor and to leave the sorting table space free for the operator to remove fruit therefrom. The dispenser is disposed with its longitudinal axis horizontal and with the main portion thereof overhanging the table, so that the outlet end is conveniently accessible to a sorter standing or seated in front of the table.

The dimensions of the tunnel are such that a stack of molded pulp packing trays 20 may be disposed therein with the individual trays vertically arranged transversely of the tunnel.

A central, longitudinal portion of the bottom 13 is depressed and provided with a slot 21 for retention and guidance of a slide member 22 which may be moved longitudinally by manual engagement of a depending handle 23. The slide member 22 is provided with a central, longitudinal slot 40 at the rear thereof and a follower plate 24 is pivotally mounted in said slot 49 by a transverse pivot 25. A latch 26 is pivotally mounted in the slotted portion of the slide on a transverse pivot 27 and is urged into latching position by a spring 28. The latch normally holds the follower plate in upright position, but is conveniently arranged adjacent the handle 23 so that it may be moved to release the follower plate. The follower plate may be then positioned upon the bottom 13, and when the slide is at the inlet end of the tunnel the follower plate will project rearwardly from the tunnel to provide a ledge upon which to rest a stack of trays to facilitate their positioning in the tunnel. The latch 26 is to the rear of the handle 23 so that it is conveniently engaged by a loader standing adjacent the inlet end of the tunnel when he grasps the handle 23 to move the slide to the rear. After inserting a number of trays in the tunnel the follower plate 24 is raised, whereupon a cam29 thereon engages a nose 30 on the latch to displace the latch and cause it to move into latching position to hold the follower plate upright.

.The sorter may then engage the handle 23 to 'pull the slide forward toward the outlet end of the tunnel. The molded pulp trays nest somewhat loosely so that the stack of trays may be compressed to some extent. Such compression is caused by the leading tray engaging an inwardly directed flange 32 along the vertical edge of the side wall 11 at the outlet end of the tunnel. Certainty of engagement is assured by a leaf spring ramp 33 secured to the inner surface of the opposite side Wall 10 adjacent the outlet end of the tunnel, which forces the stack laterally against the side wall 11 behind the flange 32. The pressure exerted by the follower plate causes the leading trays to separate from each other in fan fashion as illustrated in Fig. 3. The operator moves the slide forward occasionally as required to causefanning out of succeeding groups of trays. The slide 22 has considerable fore and aft length, and is provided with longitudinal slots 41 in which are engaged the opposed margins of the slot 21. Since there is resilient resistance to forward movement of the stack of trays, the upper edge of the follower plate 24 is urged. rearwardly, causing the slide 22 to cant and be frictionally held in position against the pressure of the pack of trays. The bottom 13 projects forwardly of the end of the tunnel so as to provide a 1. A dispenser for moldedpulp packing trays compris ing a pair of opposed rectangular side walls, a top and a V tudinalslotjtherein, a, slide member slidably guided by an outlet opening at the other'end, "said tunnel being of such dimensions that a stack of trays may be disposed a ramp on the inner surface of the opposed side wall 4 fadjacent the outlet end of the tunnelifor frictionally.en-

gaging a side edge of said trays and for urging the trays laterally'against said one side wall behind said flange, the edges of both of said side walls at the outlet end of said tunnel being vertical and disposed in a plane normal to said side walls, said ramp terminating adjacentsaid "outlet opening, and saidbottom wall extending beyond said tunnel to provide a support for trays which fan out- LWardIy beyond said tunnel due to the vertical edges thereof Vat-one side being restrained by said flange against the pressure'of; said follower plate, said flange being of such proportion as to allow'the foremost trays to pivot about 'said flange due to the pressure applied to the trays by said :follower, plate.

'2; The construction set forth in claim 1 wherein said ramp comprises a leaf spring fixed to said other side wall ends of the tunnel.

3 A dispenser for molded pulp packing trays compris' .ing a pair of opposed rectangular. sidewalls; a top and a bottom all joined edge to edgeto form an open ended, j horizontal tunnel having an inlet opening at one end and an outlet opening at the other -end, said tunnel being of 5 ,such dimensions that a stack of trays maybe disposed therein with the trays vertically onedge and extending transversely of the tunnel, said bottom having a longitherein with the trays vertically on edge and extending V transversely of the tunnel, said bottom having alongitudinal slot therein, a slide member slidably guided by said slot for movement longitudinally of the tunnel, a handle projecting downwardly from said slide member,

a vertical, transversely disposed follower plate mounted said'slot for movement longitudinally of the tunnel, a

handle projecting downwardly from said slide member, a

vertical, transversely disposed follower plate mounted on said member for urging a stack of trays forwardly through said tunnel when said slide member is manually moved toward said outlet end by said handle, an inwardly directed flange along the vertical edge of one'fo'f said side walls at the outlet end of the tunnel, a ramp on thetinner surface of the opposed side wall adjacent the outlet end of the tunnel for frictionally engaging, a side edge of said trays and for urging the trays laterally against said one side wall behind said flange, transverse-pivot means pivotally mounting said follower plate on said slide memher, a downwardly projectingrlatch mounted on said slide member and normally engaging said follower plate normally to hold thesame upright, and a spring biased .between said slide member-and said latch resiliently to hold said latch in its normal position engaging said follower 'plate, said latch being manually movable to a releasing position to permit said follower plate to be disposed against thebottom of the tunnel, said follower plate when so disposed projecting rearwardly from the tunnel when said slide member is moved to' a position adjacentthe inlet end of the tunnel to provide a ledge upon which a stack of traysmay be placed to facilitate their entry into the tunnel, Y 4 4 References Cited in the tile of this patent] UNITED STATES, PATENTS 165,478 Crowther 1 uly 13,1875 824,995 a V ,"1906 a 850,950 1907 1,065,112, 7 v 1913 ,1,'l55,688 Shearman'et al.i Oct. 5, 1915 1,469,347 Westin ;Oct.' 2, 1923 1,587,463 Arms June 1,1926 1,678,337 Halifax t July 24, 1928 2,432,415 Hatchet et al. Dec. 9, 1947 FORElGNlATENTS 431,897 .France 'Sept. 22, 1911 

